The Otways Redwoods & Hopetoun Falls Engagement Session

A cinematic forest engagement session in the Otways

There’s something deeply grounding about the Otways. The towering redwoods, soft filtered light and the scent of damp earth create a kind of stillness that feels worlds away from everyday life. For Anna and Andy’s engagement session, that atmosphere became the perfect backdrop for a slow afternoon wandering through the forest, reading letters to one another and exploring some of the most beautiful corners of the Otways.

We began among the towering Californian Redwoods, where the late afternoon light filtered softly through the trees. The scale of the forest is impossible to ignore — tiny moments between the two of them felt even more intimate surrounded by these giant trunks and warm amber tones. Anna wore a flowing white dress that moved beautifully through the forest paths, while Andy’s velvet burgundy jacket brought such a rich, cinematic contrast against the deep greens and earthy browns of the landscape.

One of my favourite parts of the session was when they sat together beneath the trees and read handwritten letters to one another. It completely shifted the pace of the shoot in the best possible way. Instead of focusing on poses or the camera, they became immersed in each other. Those quieter moments always create the most meaningful photographs — genuine reactions, soft smiles and the feeling of simply being present together.

As the light softened further, we wandered deeper into the forest, stopping occasionally wherever the light caught the trees or the ferns opened around us. The Otways always feel incredibly cinematic, but this session especially felt like stepping into another world.

To finish the afternoon, we made our way to Hopetoun Falls. The landscape there is completely different — lush fern gullies, moss-covered rocks and the sound of water echoing through the valley. Anna and Andy changed into casual hiking clothes and embraced the adventure side of the session completely. The contrast between the romantic forest portraits and the documentary-style waterfall moments made the whole shoot feel layered and personal to them.

Engagement sessions like this are always a reminder that the experience matters just as much as the photos. Exploring somewhere beautiful together, slowing down and creating space to simply connect often becomes part of the memory itself.

The Otways truly delivered for this one.